


Winning the Heart of the Prince

by CatherynnStars, OwlFeathers (AngelofAlderaan)



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Depression, Developing Relationship, F/M, First Dates, Seven Year Gap (Dragon Ball), Vegeta being Vegeta (Dragon Ball)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:07:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29445276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatherynnStars/pseuds/CatherynnStars, https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelofAlderaan/pseuds/OwlFeathers
Summary: After the Cell Games and the death of his rival, Bulma finds Vegeta thrust into a deep depression.  Determined to pull him out of it and to try to salvage some scrap of a relationship with the prince, she makes a deal with him that could either bring them closer or break them apart forever.
Relationships: Bulma Briefs/Vegeta
Comments: 29
Kudos: 56
Collections: Vegebul First Dates





	1. Chapter 1

Art by [GRSL on Twitter](https://twitter.com/GreatRageSL)

Depression is a deep, nasty, dark beast. It looms over everything, drooling dark thoughts into the mind, and spinning lies with every breath it takes. For weeks, Vegeta had been held captive by this creature, refusing to train and staying locked in his room save for meal times. Every day, Bulma tried to reach out to him, to offer an ear, but repeatedly, he turned her down.

He had been avoiding eating with the Briefs, sneaking out of his room when no one was around at night. Finally, she grew tired of seeing boxed mac and cheese and cartons of ramen piled up in the garbage every morning and she started to make him meals, leaving trays of food outside his door. When things continued like this for several weeks, Bulma finally had had enough. She knew that he was suffering, but locking himself up was not the solution. So she came up with a plan to not only get him out of his funk, but maybe even soften him enough to win his heart. Now here she was standing outside his door trying to pluck up her courage. She was about to rap on the door, but his gravelly voice came muffled from the other side.

“Leave it.” He must have felt her ki. She wondered if he knew how long she had been standing there, trying to find the right words to say. The low murmuring from the television inside followed his voice.

“No, Vegeta, you really need to come down to dinner. I...” She trailed off. _Miss you._ was what she wanted to say. But would that just make him hunker down further, pushing himself away deeper into this darkness? “Trunks would like it.”

There was a pause. “The brat barely knows me. He'll be fine.”

She felt the heat rising from the back of her neck, into her ears. “Well he's _not_ , and neither am I!” She shouted. “And if you took a moment to realize that you aren't the only person who is hurting right now, you'd see that!” Words she didn't intend to say spilled out, and she popped a hand over her mouth. _Damn._ She couldn't take that back. But it was out there now, and now she would have to face the consequences.

The door flung open with a bang. Swiftly, she shifted position to throwing her hands back on her hips, not willing for him to see her mishap. Vegeta stood there, looking terrible. His usually carefully groomed hair was flat looking and matted instead of flaming to the sky. His tank top was stained with food and the dark circles under his eyes told her that he hadn't been sleeping either. Behind him, the room was a sty, and the stench of man odor and old food wafted out, making her want to gag. For a moment, her heart broke seeing the usually neat prince in such a state.

His dark eyes bore into her. “What makes you think I haven't been spending weeks blaming myself for everything?”

Slowly she crossed her arms. She couldn't show him that she had pity for him, she knew he didn't want that, it would sting his pride even further. For a long moment, the two stood in silence, staring at one another. Finally she broke it. “You look like hell.”

He glanced down at his stained tank and sweat pants that probably could stand on their own, running his hand through matted hair. “I suppose I do.” His voice was tired.

Taking a step forward, she closed the gap between them, tilting her head to get a better look at the prince. “Listen, get cleaned up, come down to dinner. I made your favorite. No Trunks, no parents, just you and I out on the balcony. I won't even talk-”

“Tch, that would be a miracle.” He cut in.

“Jerk!” She pulled her hand out to punch him, but he caught it as her fist flew.

The ghost of a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, and her heart jumped in her chest. She had forgotten what that smile did to her. “If it means your incessant griping will stop, then fine.” Gently, he released her hand from his firm grip, and she lowered her arm.

Bulma heaved a sigh, trying to hide her pleasure. But she was bad at that game, and could feel a smile play at the corner of her own lips. “Deal. Dinner will be ready in a half hour.” Nodding curtly, he slammed the door shut in her face. “You don't have to slam it, you jerk!” On the other side of the door, she swore she heard him laughing. Well, that at least was a good sign she supposed.

Jogging down stairs to the kitchen, she checked on the steaks. Twelve of them were sizzling in the oven, and the vat of potatoes were just about ready to be strained and mashed. She wasn't the best cook in the world, but this was one meal she had made sure she learned to get right. Her mother fluttered in holding Trunks, who was intently looking over his stuffed monkey. “Oh that smells good, dear. Did Vegeta say he was coming down?”

“Yeah, I got him to agree. But just he and I out on the balcony. If you don't mind feeding the little warrior here.” She tickled under the baby's chin, who returned with a giggle.

Panchy beamed. “Why sure, dear! He's no trouble at all.”

“I made enough for you and dad, too. Oh, and mom?” Her mother was now fishing though the cupboards for the baby food and more formula. “Can you have dad send a couple bots to Vegeta's room while we eat. It's a pig sty. I wanted to hurl when he opened the door.”

“Oh my! Yes, of course. Poor Vegeta. He must feel so lonely now.” She closed the cabinet door and set down several jars of food, while Trunks tried to reach for them.

Bulma paused from straining the potatoes. “What do you mean? He's here with us.”

“Yes, dear, but think about it. He's the last of his race left. The only one who remembers his world and his culture.” Her mother placed the little boy in his high chair and began to feed the ravenous demi-Saiyan. After a moment, Bulma absently went back to her task, absorbing what her mother had just said. All this time, all the bravado he showed about beating his rival, and she now realized that Vegeta had never intended to kill her best friend, he just wanted to prove himself worthy of his crown. Because, what use is a prince when he couldn't defend his title? And without a race, what was the point of a title? Now he had lost it all: his planet, his race, and nothing to back up his status. Losing Goku wasn't just losing his rival, it was losing the last thread of his own birthright.

Of course, Bulma would never have let the prince kill her best friend, but she had thought all this time that it was what he wanted. How much else had she misunderstood about the strange alien man she had found herself intertwined with?

After setting the table outside, she turned off the heat in the oven and excused herself to get changed into something a little nicer. It was a lovely mid-summer evening, so she opted for a light cardigan sweater over a tank and jeans. She ran a brush through her blue locks and trotted back downstairs. Vegeta was already down stairs, cleaned, changed, and actually holding their son.

It must have been her mother's doing, because she was grinning like a lunatic. But the prince didn't seem too put off. Trunks was looking the Saiyan prince over, big eyes taking in everything about the man holding him. Of course he had seen his father, but even before the Androids and Cell, he had little to do with the boy. Vegeta in turn was regarding the child, brows furrowed. The blunette, paced over to them, trying her best to not break this moment.

However, no one informed Panchy of how precarious it was. “Awe isn't that precious. You are such an adorable family!” She clapped her hands together excitedly.

Snapping out of his thoughts, the prince glared over at the blonde woman and shoved his child back into her arms. Bulma could have screamed, but she held it in. “I wouldn't go that far, mother.” She gritted her teeth. “You and Dad can serve yourselves.” She took a deep breath and addressed Vegeta. “Why don't you get settled out on the balcony and I'll bring you out dinner.” Glad for the escape, he practically phased outside. “Mom! You can't say those things, he's not ready for that kind of commitment yet!”

“Say what you want dear, but you are a family, even if you did go by things a little backwards.” She shrugged, placing Trunks back in the high chair, his mouth already wide open for more food.

Bulma placed a palm on her forehead and paced back to the counter to serve up the food. There were lots of people who had kids and the relationships didn't work out. Heck, she still wasn't even sure what they had could be considered a relationship to begin with. She had been lonely and upset over Yamcha's constant cheating, and he had just been there for her. One thing led to another, and Trunks was the result of that. Before then, it had been mostly bickering, but she had grown to care for him and had even worried over him when the Gravity Chamber had exploded. She really wasn't even sure why she had started to feel anything for him. She had invited him to stay at Capsule Corp. out of kindness, and found that she had even forgiven him for what he had done to her friends. It was while watching him upon their return to Earth that she had seen the flicker of the real man, one who despite his hubris and bravado was hurting deeply. And something inside her wanted to help him.

Perhaps that was all that was needed for her to come to care for him. Her mother's words from earlier still bounced around in her mind. _The lonely man from another world._

They were more alike than she would care to admit, both royalty in their own right, smart, proud, spoiled, and sassy.

And both so alone.

Oh sure she had friends, but they were all fighters, powerful and fierce. She often felt like the odd man out. She had been raised with access to anything she could ever want, while the others had to scrape by to carve out a life. And she was smarter than them all, seeing things they didn't, working out scenarios for every situation they couldn't punch their way out of.

Really, it was a wonder that they hadn't bonded over their shared experiences. She glanced at her son as she carried the tray piled high with food out to the prince.

Or perhaps they had.

Outside, Vegeta was standing at the balcony rail, watching some birds soar by on a summer breeze. In the west, the sun was low, colors playing on the horizon. She placed down the tray on the center of the table and paced over to his side. He had changed into some jeans and a light colored button down, a clean white tee shirt peeking out at the collar. It was nice to see him in something other than training clothes or armor.

For a long moment they stood in silence, Bulma content with just his company.

“It's not a bad place.” His gravely voice finally broke the lull.

“Hum?” She tilted her head, glancing up at him.

“This mudba- Earth. It's not a bad place to live.” He corrected himself mid-sentence, and she wondered why. Was he trying to say that he was going to stay? She had hoped that he would. Just because they had a son together, didn't mean he was going to. For all she knew, he might fly off for years, only to come back when Trunks was older, to take him from her to go conquer the known universe. He turned to face her. “So?”

She glared at him. “So what?”

“Dinner.” He huffed, crossing his arms.

Throwing her hands on her hips, she felt that heat again. “You know, you could ask nicer!”

“You were the one who made me come down here!” He yelled back.

“I didn't think anyone made the Prince of all Saiyans do anything!” She snapped back.

Words were caught in his throat. He didn't have a snarky come back for that one. She had him. The heiress felt a confidant smirk pull at her lips. “Oh, so it turns out that there is one person _can_ make him do something.” She took a sultry step forward, flicking her eyes up at him, and placed a lone finger on his chest.

His cheeks started to flash red, then he turned away, huffing. “Tch, I just knew you wouldn't stop berating me if I didn't comply.”

Balling her hands into fists, she growled at him. “Gahh, you stubborn Saiyan! Yes, dinner is on the table!” She threw a hand out and pointed at the spread she had prepared.

“It's about time.” He calmly paced over and seated himself.

The heiress wanted to scream, glaring bullets at him. Why was she even bothering with this ass?

 _Because you love him._ A voice inside her spoke. Love? This was the first time that word had even popped into her mind. Care certainly, but love? How could she possibly...

She felt his eyes on her, and quickly she took her own seat. He immediately dug in, devouring the steaks rapidly. She stared at him and he took a large swallow, then slowed down. “Is it good?”

He shrugged. “It's palatable.”

“Oh gee, thanks.” Rolling her eyes, she cut into her own sirloin.

They were quiet for a time, before Bulma spoke up again. “It's nice to have you out of your room. I'm sure Trunks-”

“If you are going to continue prattling, I'll just take my meal back to my room.”

Her heart sank and suddenly she lost her appetite. For what seemed like forever, she watched him eat. He had picked up the pace of his consumption once again. Then something snapped in her. She was Bulma freaking Briefs, she was now about to let this go. Placing her palms on the table she stood up, leaning in on her hands. “You know what I think? I think you're scared.”

His eyes cut up to her, rapidly narrowing. “Scared? Nothing frightens the Prince of all Saiyans.”

“Oh yeah? Well, I think you're wrong. I think you are scared to spend time with me because you're afraid that you actually feel something for someone besides your own sorry ass.” Straightening, she crossed her arms, looking a bit like the prince she was calling out. Oh, she knew exactly what she was doing, and this was a fight she was going to win.

Chair scraping the tile floor, he was on his feet, eyes baring into her. “You think I care?”

“Yes, I do.” She smirked. “I saw what Trunks's death did to you. There is more to you than that tough façade you so proudly put on.”

“You're wrong.” His voice was ice, and for a moment her confidence in her scheme wavered. Would he take off for days on end again or worse, take the ship and never return?

“Am I? Then prove it. There is a fair in town this week. Go with me and take me to dinner afterwards. I'll make reservations. If you have a horrible time and hate being with me, I'll never pester you about me or Trunks ever again.” She nodded triumphantly, her confidence returning. “You can live here and do as you please. And I'll ask nothing of you.” He seemed to be considering this. Suddenly he was back in his seat, getting back to his meal.

“Fine.”

Slowly she slumped back down into her own seat. “Fine?”

“Yes.” Dark eyes flicked up to her, then back to his food.

“Oh.” She paused. There had been no argument, no bargaining, nothing. “Okay then.”

The silence returned as they continued their meal, then Bulma broke it once more. “Why did you agree so quickly?” Her voice was filled with suspicion.

Shrugging, he didn't bother looking up. “If one night out with you gets you to leave me alone, it was an easy choice.”

His words felt like a slap in the face and she once again questioned herself. But she wasn't backing down. She saw the demon that was devouring him slowly, and she knew that he could not slay it by staying locked up in his room. And she knew that fighting his feelings for others was a symptom of this evil being called depression. She may not be able to fight this battle for him, but she could give him the weapons to fight, and prove to them both that he was not the heartless fiend that he pretended to be.


	2. Chapter 2

“What is so significant about this event that causes you Earthlings to all gather in one place? I see nothing notable here.” Vegeta grumbled, narrowed eyes darting back and forth between fairgoers. The couple had arrived at the fairgrounds not too long ago, but where Bulma was excited by the liveliness, Vegeta only grew more annoyed by the noise and people walking too close to him. 

Bulma rolled her eyes with a slight sigh. “It’s a fair, Vegeta. Think of it like a festival. They had those on your planet, didn’t they?” She raised an eyebrow and glanced at the brooding man. His mood hadn’t lightened at all, and she was worried he would spend the entire night making snarky comments. But she wouldn’t give up so easily; there was plenty to do tonight and something was bound to make him crack the tiniest smile at least once. 

“Yes,” he snapped, “but there was a reason for festivals of this nature. A significant victory in battle, for example. What are these people celebrating?” 

She paused in thought for a moment, “Well, nothing really. It’s just a place where people can go to have fun.” 

“I don’t see how you would find any of this enjoyable. There are too many people here.” 

“Yeah, well, you said you’d come to the fair with me, so quit complaining. Just try to enjoy something different for a few hours.” 

“Tch.” 

Even though they were out in the fresh summer air, the tension was weighing heavily on Bulma. There was no spark between the two, just the same dark cloud that had hung over the prince’s head for weeks on end. She knew that it wouldn’t be easy to shake him free from the tendrils of depression that gripped him tighter each day, but she also knew that she couldn’t bear the pain of seeing him wallow in despair much longer. Maybe it should be enough that he had made an effort to clean himself up and leave his room, but that wasn’t enough for her. He clearly could feel, otherwise what happened with Cell wouldn’t have affected him so much. It was time for him to feel something other than anger and misery. 

They continued to walk past smiling fairgoers and game operators shouting to get players for a game of darts. Bulma saw children walk by, hand in hand with their parents, and for a fleeting moment she wished that Trunks were here and that they could be a family like that. She pushed the thought from her mind, and instead pointed to a food stall advertising different fried foods through sun-dyed posters on the side. “Why don’t we try some food? I’m sure you’ll enjoy that. They have all kinds of different things, and we can walk around while we eat and check other things out.” 

“Hmm. Whatever you say, woman.” 

The two walked over to stand in line, Vegeta still scowling with arms crossed tight over his chest. “What food do they have here? What are those pictures of? It all looks the same.” 

“Well, it’s mostly fried foods, that’s why it all looks similar. They cover different foods in a batter and fry it up. It’s typical carnival food, people really only get it here.” 

“What foods do they cover?” 

“Well, usually things like candy bars, cookies, pickles, macaroni and cheese. Sometimes they just fry up the batter and put sugar on it and call it a day.” 

Vegeta looked incredulously at the blue haired woman. “You mean to tell me they will simply put whatever into this batter, cook it, and serve it to us as if it is meant to be a full meal?” 

“Yes.” 

“Then order me the macaroni. If it’s better than that boxed one then I demand that your mother learn this technique,” he said, turning to examine the posters once more. 

She giggled, happy to see that he at least had an appetite. “I’m sure she could handle that. Is there anything else you’d like to try? I might get something sweet.” 

“Order whatever else you want, I don’t care. Just make sure the macaroni is ordered, and good.”

A few minutes later, they walked off with six different orders between the two of them, sampling both the savory and sweet that the food stall had to offer. Though Vegeta wasn’t pleased with the pickles, he did enjoy the deep fried strawberry shortcake and ate every macaroni ball before Bulma could try one herself. 

“You know, you could have left one for me!” Bulma complained.

“I could have,” Vegeta said between french fries, “but then I’d have one less.” A hint of a snarky smile was on his face. 

She put her hands on her hips and stopped walking, “You wouldn’t even know about them if I hadn’t convinced you to come today.” Though her face conveyed annoyance, she felt a little more relaxed. He was sounding more like his brazen self, and the smile was enough to confirm that they might be making progress already.

“So far it’s the only thing here that has been the slightest bit satisfying,” he said, the slight smile falling once more as he stopped to look back at her, “show me more of whatever it is you want, woman.” 

“We just got here! There’s plenty more that will be worth seeing. You have to give it a chance for me though.” 

“Is that not what I am doing in the first place?” 

She threw the empty food containers into a nearby trash can, and she walked past the Saiyan. “I guess. Let’s look around, do you want to check out rides or games?” 

“I don’t care for either of them. Just pick something,” he demanded, growing impatient once more. 

The Briefs heiress led the way through the crowd once more, passing vendors selling homemade trinkets and handcrafted clothing. A couple had tried to get their attention, only to shy away when Vegeta shot them a glare that would send fear shivering down most warriors’ spines. She shook her head at him, and wondered to herself why she had to fall for someone so irritable. Maybe she liked the challenge he presented- _how to make someone so stubborn and coarse admit they feel emotions just like she does_ . It certainly wasn’t easy to be with him. At least any fights or drama wasn’t because he would hide things from her like Yamcha. However, Vegeta was a little _too_ honest or blunt at times. But, there were no lies. She could trust he would always tell her the truth, even if she didn’t want to hear it. 

Various game booths were lined up one after the other on either side of them, and Bulma stopped reflecting on her conflicting feelings to gesture towards them, “You know Vegeta, usually guys will try to win prizes for their dates.” She smiled and reached out for his hand. He pulled it away, instead crossing his arms once more. Feeling a little hurt by his rejection, she did the same and turned away from him but continued to speak. “I think those bears are cute. You should go win me one.”

“These hardly seem to be worth putting any effort into obtaining. Why don’t the women get their own?” He asked, stopping to look at the stuffed animals, foam swords, and neon colored blow-up hammers on the side of one stall. He reached out and grabbed a hammer, a little too hard, causing it to deflate with a loud _pop_. The man behind the game counter started to reprimand Vegeta, but backed away when he saw the fierce expression on the Saiyan’s face. Bulma gave the game operator a sweet smile and a wink, and pulled Vegeta away from that particular booth.

“It’s meant to be a romantic gesture!” She said, slightly frustrated. “Do you have to question every little thing?” 

He chuckled slightly, “Earth women are so helpless. You can’t even win yourself some purposeless trinkets.”

“Maybe you can’t either,” she challenged, “imagine that, the Prince of All Saiyans unable to win at some carnival game.” 

“Of course I can.” 

“Then prove it,” she said teasingly, and nodded to the games to their left. 

Vegeta’s frown deepened, but rather than object or argue further he stomped towards a stall with a simple ring toss game. Rows of glass bottles were set up behind the game operator, who sprung up from his seat when he saw the ill-tempered man walk up. 

“Hey there, think ya got what it takes to win a prize? Anyone else out there want to give the ol’ ring toss a go?” The operator’s voice was amplified by his mic, further adding to Vegeta’s annoyance towards the absurdity of the whole situation. 

“What do I need to do to get that?” He asked, pointing to a stuffed bear hanging by a clip. 

“All you have to do for a prize is get three rings on a bottle, doesn’t matter which bottles, and if you get all five rings on bottles you get a grand prize. Five rings for just five hundred zeni! If you want ten rings, it’ll be eight hundred zeni! What’ll it be, sir?” 

Vegeta took money from his pocket and slammed it on the counter. “Give me five.” 

“Not a problem sir, here you are!” The young man pulled five rings from behind the counter and slid them across to Vegeta. Bulma stood back a couple of steps, curious to see just how well the Saiyan prince would do with a surely rigged carnival game.

Vegeta, confident that he would get all five rings to their targets, was shocked when he missed every single one. Bulma hid a grin behind her hand and suppressed a laugh. So even the great Prince of All Saiyans couldn’t beat one of these games. He lifted a fist slowly, and for a moment Bulma was afraid he would blow to stand to pieces, but breathed a sigh of relief when he slammed his hand down once more.

“Five more.” 

“Five more for the man up front!”

Vegeta took five more rings, and rather than lazily toss them as he did the first round, his eyes were narrowed and focused on the targets. Bulma made a mental note to tell the others that Vegeta was just as serious about a ring toss as he was about some of the other big bads they’ve fought before- if not more serious. It was comical to see the fearsome man continue to grit his teeth at his failure to secure a prize that should have been so easy to obtain.

And fail he did. He tried a few more times, only to have his patience tested by the game operator constantly calling out his losses for all to hear. 

“ _Oh-ho, too bad! Try again?_ ”

“ _Harder than it looks, isn’t it? Here’s another ten!”_

“ _Loser!_ ” The game speakers blared. The Saiyan prince growled and tore a stuffed bear from the booth’s prize display to the left of him and threw it forcefully. He had had enough of this. The bear hit the game operator square in the face, and Vegeta stole another bear and shoved it roughly at Bulma. 

“There’s your prize, woman.” 

“Uh, well, I guess brute forcing your way to a prize works too.” 

He stalked away from the stand, the operator, slowly pulled himself to his feet in a daze. Bulma jogged to catch up as the prince looked around at the other stands and games. He was so busy gazing around at the bright lights and overwhelming noise that he nearly ran into another carny. The man was taller than Vegeta, sporting a white tee and a black vest over a well built physique. “Hey there, sir, if you wanna try your hand at this, you’re gonna have to wait in line.” The prince’s glare cut right through the man for a tick, then, sizing up the short Saiyan, he squared himself and smirked. “That is if you have what it takes to ring the bell.” Bulma realized only too late that they were standing in front of a High Striker game. Her stomach sank. This could cause a scene.

Wincing, she pulled at his arm, but he batted her away. “What’s so difficult about this contest?” He eyed the tall wooden structure before him and the large hammer a spindly young man was wielding. 

“You hit the pad there with the mallet and if you hit it hard enough, it will send that puck up and ring the bell. It’s a feat of strength. But Vegeta you-”

“Is that all?” He raised a brow and smirked. _Shit._ They watched the wiry lad slam the hammer down awkwardly, sending the puck up three feet. As the prince watched the next two men try their hands, the pit in Bulma’s stomach grew.

Tugging on his arm, she tried to get his attention once more. “You have nothing to prove, I know you are the strongest man on Earth.” He shoved her off again, this time not quite as hard. He was grinning madly now. This was not how she intended him to find joy tonight. “Fine, have it your way, but _please_ don’t break this and make a scene.”

“If it stops your incessant complaining, then fine.” He huffed, not looking at the heiress. She held the bear close as the carny called Vegeta up next.

The man once again eyed Vegeta, sizing him up, then his gaze flicked towards Bulma, and he gave her a morose grin. The prince handed the tall man a few Zeni, which he quickly pocketed. Picking up the mallet and handing it to Vegeta, he chuckled. “Have at it.”

Vegeta took notice of the man eyeing the blue haired woman, and his eyes darkened a bit. “Tap it!” She mouthed, ignoring the carny’s attentions. He growled and tapped the pad lightly. The puck rose, and went nearly to the top.

“Awe, too bad, buddy.” Glancing at Bulma he winked. His unwanted attentions were making her feel rather uncomfortable. “Let me show you how a real man does it.” Hefting the hammer up over his shoulders, he swung it down. A loud ding sounded as the puck hit the bell. Vegeta’s gaze went from the man attempting to flirt with Bulma, to the mallet in his hand. He smirked wickedly and swiped the heavy object out of the carny’s hand with ease. Faster than the human eye could perceive, the hammer was swung down and the puck exploded through the bell, causing the whole wooden structure to split, sending splinters flying in all directions. The bell went flying into the air and sailing over the fairgoers, outside into the parking lot. There was a loud crash and the sounds of car alarms going off.

The man was now covered in sawdust and wood fragments, eyes widely staring at the Saiyan prince. “That is how a Saiyan does it.” Vegeta grabbed a huge stuffed monkey and shoved it under his arm, placing his other arm around Bulma’s waist, walking away. 

It took a few moments for her to come out of her daze to realize that he was being affectionate-or perhaps possessive? Heat filled her cheeks, but she didn’t say anything for a long moment. She was surprised when he broke the silence. “As if you were some prize to be won.” He huffed.

“What do you mean?” They were pacing absently towards the rides now.

“That fool. The way he tried to win your affections with a show of strength.” His voice was nearly a growl. So he _had_ picked up that guy flirting at her.

Shifting the bear in her arms, she dared poke Saiyan, wishing to know what this sudden change in demeanor was. “But isn’t that what you were doing?”

He stopped in his tracks, removing his arm. “Hardly. He insinuated that I was weaker. I was merely proving him wrong.”

“Oh.” She averted her gaze, observing the colorful lights donning the rides nearby. Something about his response told her that this wasn’t the entire truth though.

“Besides,” he continued, “The idea of winning over a female with feats is absurd. She should be smart enough to see what she wants and take it.” She flicked her eyes to look at her date. He was regarding her, then looked away. Was that a compliment? It was hard to tell, but- “What are those?”

She was pulled out of her thoughts, and over to the direction he was indicating. “Oh those are rides! We should go on some!”

He furrowed his brow, shifting the stuffed animal in his arm. “What are the purpose of them? They don’t appear to be transports.”

“They’re fun. Most people can’t do crazy stunts like you and the others, so this is the closest thing we get to it.” She gilded him towards the ticket booth and purchased a book for the rides. 

Handing it to him, he glared. “What is this for?”

“They’re tickets for the rides. Basically we have prepaid for them. You hand the operator the number he asks for, and then you can ride.” She explained.

“Why can’t you give them to the operator, you have hands.” He glared at her.

“It’s just something the guy does on a date. Just go with it, Vegeta.” She sighed. At least he treated her as capable and equal. Yamcha had always tried to be all macho and she had found over the years that she had given in and had become less like herself and more like this ditzy girl that he treated her like. To be honest, being with Vegeta made her feel more like herself than she had in ages. It was wonderful and freeing. In fact, she realized that it had been Vegeta that had brought out a side of herself that she had been hiding all this time in order to make the scarred face bandit happy. She had gone from the smart, confidant scientist, to the ditzy, easily frightened girlfriend. The moment Vegeta arrived on Earth from their adventures on Namek, that girl had left and the real Bulma had returned. And it all started with her inviting the Prince to live with her at Capsule Corp.

The prince shoved the book back at her. “No. You do it. I’m carrying your damn monkey.”

Rolling her eyes, she took it back. “Fine, jerk. Then I get to pick the ride.”

He shrugged, looking around at all the whirling tumbling vehicles. “They all seem docile. It hardly matters to me.”

Docile? She was not going to let that lie. A challenge had been issued. He wanted something that wasn’t tame, she was going to give it to him. Several yards down the row of rides she had spotted just the thing. The last time she had been on it was when she was dating Yamcha, but she remembered well how she had felt the first time she rode it as a kid. “Alright then, your highness, let’s go.” Grabbing his arm, she steered him towards the ride, trying not to grin madly. 

The name of the ride stood glowing down at them at the entrance, daring them to pass beneath. He gazed up at it. “Gravatron? Woman, if this works like the gravity machine, you’ll be killed.” Regarding her, his brows furrowed in...was that concern?

“No, no, I’ll be fine. Normal humans ride this all the time.” She giggled at little, trying to feign innocence.

Eyeing her suspiciously a moment, he huffed, then took in the ride more thoroughly. “This looks like one of those space crafts in your old science fiction movies.” His voice was now more skeptical.

She pushed him with her free arm, heading towards the line to get on the ride. “I thought it didn’t matter to the prince. C’mon.”

“It doesn’t.” He muttered, going along with her, glowering as they went.

She handed the attendant the appropriate number of tickets and they boarded the ride through an angled door. Inside the round room were panels with straps attached to them. Finding two free ones, she led him over to them and leaned back and fastened her straps. Watching her, he did likewise, but neglected the straps. “Vegeta, you have to strap in, they won’t start the ride until you do.”

“I hardly think I-”

She glared at him, eyes saying _“I thought this was docile?”_ He shut up and did what he was told, growling a bit.

“What do we do with these?” He indicated their prizes.

It was her turn to smirk at him. “Just hold on tight.” She had already shifted hers under her arm, to brace against the panel. She knew it would be too much gravity working against her if she held it to her chest. She watched him do the opposite of her, holding the monkey to his chest under folded arms. She debated on telling him to do as she did, but then decided not to. He could handle 300 x gravity, that part would be a cake walk. It was the spinning that she knew would surprise him. She stared down at her ill gotten prize. He had had a bad attitude towards her all night, and she was getting sick of it. All she had been trying to do was to get him out of his funk, and he was fighting her every step of the way in his own stubborn Saiyan manner. Even when he started to show that maybe a part of him actually felt something besides anger and depression, he fought it, tooth and nail. Now the sadistic side of her wanted to see his face on this “tame” Earth ride. Time to show him that she could be just as strong as the prince.

Then it hit her, why she had fallen for him. They both had a bit of ego and overconfidence. They didn’t back down from a fight, and they always strove to prove their worth to the world. Which was why it hurt so much to see his own bravado shattered. Thinking it over, he had been more like himself tonight then she had seen in months. There were still moments of this demon lurking, but so far, this night actually was not going as bad as she had been thinking just moments ago. She had to just remember, her prince was not like other men...and that was why her fate had become entwined with his.

The operator had come and checked everyone’s restraints while she had been lost in thought, and she felt the rumble of the ride starting up. Slowly the whole thing began to spin, gaining speed rapidly. The pull of gravity sucked her to the wall, and she did her best to turn her head to look at Vegeta. At first, he looked unphased but as the ride sped up, she watched his eyes grow wider, and skin go pale. The floor beneath them dropped out, the ceiling opened up, and the ride occupants began to scream. Then the panels began to slide up and down. With a lurch, his went up, hitting the top of the wall, then sliding down with a jerk. She giggled at him, but he didn’t seem to hear. Dang it, it was her luck that the panel she had chosen was stuck in place. It was more fun when they moved. Vegeta’s face was going a bit green. “You okay?” She shouted over the noise of other people laughing and screaming, as well as the ride itself.

He didn’t reply, and she watched as he gripped the monkey for dear life, the white of the stuffing peeking out of the seams. Maybe she had taken this too far. But he had issued the challenge, and he knew it. The prince never spoke anything he didn’t mean. Gradually, the ride slowed to a stop, and the operator announced they could get unbuckled.

Vegeta didn’t move for a long time. She undid her restraints and came over to him, looking him up and down. He seemed in shock, concentrating on something off in the distance. He was trying not to be sick, she realized. Quickly, she put her bear between her legs and unstrapped him. “I’m so sorry, let’s get you out of here.”

Coming out of his daze, he blinked back at her, scowling once more. He still looked ill, but was fighting off the sensation. He pushed her away, dragging the monkey and exiting the “ship” while holding his stomach. Outside, he took in a huge breath of night air, leaning against a picnic table. Looking around, she spotted a drink vendor. “Wait right here, I’ll be right back.” She jogged over to the cart, cutting in front of other people waiting. Whipping out her wallet, she fished out a handful of bills. “My boyfriend is sick. I need three bottles of water.” The vendor was about to protest that she had skipped the line, then took note of the amount of bills in her hand. “Just take it all, I’m in a hurry.” She shoved the money into his hands and the man ducked below the cart and retrieved the bottles.

When she returned, she found Vegeta holding on to a trash can. “Am I too late?” He shook his head and put his hand out for a bottle. Quickly, she opened it for him and he snatched it from her, water splashing on her jeans. Normally she would have yelled at him, but guilt and concern had taken over. He downed the first bottle, then crumpled it and threw it into the can and thrust his hand out for another. She opened that one up for him as well and as he downed it, she saw the color begin to return to his cheeks.

Now there was fire in his eyes as he glared at her. “Why would you subjugate me to such a thing?” His voice was low and dangerous.

“You said you could handle anything!” The guilt rapidly was replaced with defensiveness. Stalking right up to her, she backed up towards the building behind her. 

He slammed his hands against the wall on either side of her head. Her heart was racing. He was dangerous, she always had known this, and for some reason, this excited her. Was she a sadist for looking for thrills with a mad murderer? Dark eyes bore into her, “Never do anything like that to me again.” His voice was low and sent a shiver through her. Swallowing hard, she nodded.

“Fine, but you can’t assume anything about Earth any more.” She managed to fire back. She should be terrified, but for some reason, she wasn’t. Something told her he wasn’t as mad as he was trying to lead her to believe. 

He pushed himself away from the wall, stalking away back to the picnic bench where he had left the stuffed animal. Following behind him, she took a seat. For a long time, he simply stood there, arms crossed, staring at nothing. This night was rapidly becoming a disaster, and she had to salvage it. Her mind began to reel with ideas, desperately trying to turn everything around. As she scanned the fairgrounds, a tall round object covered with glittering lights caught her eye. “Hey, Vegeta?” She ventured. “You up for one more ride? I promise this one is not fast, and won’t make you sick.” She quickly added.

Side eyeing her, he huffed, “Tch, how can I trust you?”

Getting to her feet, she paced over to face him. He refused to look at her. “What I did just now was stupid. I took you on a ride you weren’t prepared for. I don’t doubt for a moment you would have been fine had I warned you. That was mean, and I’m sorry.” 

He finally gazed into her blue eyes. “Why in the universe would anyone even conceive of such a ride.” His voice was full of confusion. “And how are you not sick?” He almost sounded...impressed?

She burst into laughter. He was not mad at being sick, he was upset at being embarrassed over it! She had proven stronger than him at something and he couldn’t understand it. “Here on Earth, we have similar machines that astronauts use in training to go to space. The first time I went on Gravatron, I got really sick, just like you. But I wasn’t about to let that stop me from riding it again. So when I got home, I asked my dad to take me to the training facility where astronauts prepare for space flight so I could get past the sick feeling. About a day of repeated trips on it, and this feeling became one I learned to love.” As she spoke, his features softened and he listened intently.

“You’re more like me then I have cared to admit, Bulma.” His gaze bore steadily into her. He had used her name, rather than “Woman” and it gave her those butterflies again, her breath hitching a moment. Then something snapped him out of the moment. “Are we done here? I’d like to go back and-”

“No way!” She threw her hands on her hips, “We still have enough tickets for one more ride, and our dinner reservations.” She watched his face grow slightly pale at the mention of food. “Oh don’t give me that, Saiyan. You’ll be fully recovered and starving in an hour and you know it.”

Crossing his arms, he turned away. “So be it. One more ridiculous ride.”

Beaming at him, she linked an arm through his muscular ones that remained immovably folded across his chest, grabbing the forgotten plush monkey, and pulled him towards the most romantic ride she could think of-the Ferris wheel.

Since she was a little girl, she had dreams of going to a fair with a guy, having him win her prizes, taking her on rides, and making out at the top of the Ferris wheel. She had done many of those things with Yamcha, and she had to admit, those dates had been everything her prepubescent mind had dreamed of. But she never felt...right? Tonight had been a bloody nightmare compared to her childhood dreams, yet she had to admit, somehow, she was not upset about it. Perhaps it was the unpredictability of the Saiyan Prince that made the evening, dare she say, exciting? Approaching the looming wheel, she knew already to expect the unexpected with him and just go with it.

Vegeta continued to wear a scowl on his face as they approached the line for their final ride. Bulma felt herself getting nervous. This was her last ditch effort to make him feel something other than physically ill or annoyed. She wouldn’t go back on her word to him- she fully meant to stick to her agreement to leave him be if she didn’t impress him tonight. However, it was something that she wasn’t emotionally fully prepared to do. She didn’t _want_ to give up on what they had, whatever the hell that even was. It wasn’t _nothing_ though, otherwise he wouldn’t even have entertained her entire plan, and Trunks certainly wouldn’t exist if there were _nothing_ between them. As the time passed at the fair though, she started to believe that maybe they weren’t compatible after all.

“This ride goes in circles as well? Woman, are you trying to make a fool of me once more?” he growled, looking from the Ferris wheel to Bulma. 

She put her hands on her hips, looking a little less than serious with the teddy bear stuffed under her arm. “Of course I’m not! I told you, I’m sorry for that. This one moves really slowly, see? Then it stops at the top for each of us to get a view of the city. It’s really peaceful and nice. Some say it’s even romantic.” 

“You better not be lying to me. I will show you no mercy if you lie to me about this.” 

“Vegeta,” Bulma put a hand over her heart, “I’m not lying about the ride. How could I lie about it when you can see if for yourself anyway?” 

"Perhaps you neglect to mention something it does, and I don’t see it until we are about to get on, as it happens at the end of the ride. I’m warning you.” 

“Whatever Vegeta, just move up in line with me. We’re up with the next group.” 

She pulled him forward and handed off their remaining tickets to the ride operator, who briefly glanced at the height restrictions but let the couple pass without an issue. She saw the man’s eyes flick from the sign to them, and silently thanked Kami that Vegeta hadn’t noticed. If he had, she was certain they wouldn’t have gotten on the ride- not because he would have refused, but because it and the operator would have ceased to exist. 

They stepped into the passenger car and took their seats. The walls of the carriage were green and white striped metal, with railings that came up slightly above for added safety. Bulma felt a tingle of excitement as the wheel moved to allow another couple to enter the next car, and she leaned over the railing a bit to get a better look at the view from above as they moved higher into the night sky. 

“Why do humans like something like this? What is the point?” 

Bulma moved from the railing to face Vegeta and spoke, “We can’t all fly like you and the others can. It’s nice to feel like you’re above everyone sometimes, to look over the city and sights from somewhere very high up.” 

“Hm. I still don’t understand why someone invented a contraption like this. It seems inefficient if that is your only goal.” 

“People think it’s romantic. You’re all alone, high above the world. It feels almost like you could do anything if you’re up here with the right person.” She shot Vegeta a coy smile, and reached out to hold onto one of his arms. When he didn’t immediately pull away, she felt a flutter in her chest. A moment of pure contentment with the man, finally. 

“Well I don’t feel anything other than hungry. We could see the city any other way, I don’t know why you would have wasted any Zeni on tickets for something like this,” he complained harshly. 

His words were the final blow to her final attempt to connect to the man she reluctantly loved. The happiness she felt moments before dissipated instantly. Bulma felt tears welling in her eyes, but she tried to quickly blink them away. She pulled her hands back to her own lap, and stared at the night sky off to the left of her. There was nothing she could do to get Vegeta to open up and enjoy things with her, and she had to face the fact that she failed. Even dinner seemed pointless after such an aggravating day out; no amount of food would change the awful day that they’ve had. Sure, there were a few nice moments here and there, but it wasn’t going to be enough to convince the detached Saiyan that sometimes letting people into his life could be a good thing. All she seemed to do was reinforce the opposite. 

“Let’s just go home after this,” Bulma said quietly after a couple of minutes of sitting in silence. The wheel had only rotated a couple of times, and they hadn’t even made it to their own turn to pause at the very top, but she didn’t care anymore. All she wanted to do was get off the ride and go home to her child and shut them both in her bedroom. 

“What?” He turned to look at her, “You said there would be food.” 

“I don’t think I’m really up for that anymore. I can always cancel our reservations, and I’ll order you take-out or see what there is at the house. I’m just not really that hungry, and it’s been a long day.”

“What is wrong with you now?” 

“Nothing, I just don’t want to go out.” 

“Out with it, woman. What are you hiding?” 

“Nothing!” She snapped, finally turning back to look him in the eye, “I’m not hiding anything! I want to just get off the ride and go home. I’m sure Trunks misses me by now, and I don’t really care about wasting more time going out to dinner together!” 

“This was your idea in the first place,” he said slowly, “why the sudden change?” 

“Because _obviously_ none of this matters to you so why should I bother prolonging something that’s just _so terrible_ for you? We can go home, and you can go ahead and lock yourself in your room or eat boxes of macaroni and cheese all day and forget about Trunks and me.” Her voice was shaky as she spoke, and she turned away once more. She crossed her arms tightly across her chest and stuck her lower lip out in a pout that Vegeta had seen many times before. 

“Why do you think I think it’s terrible?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” 

He remained quiet for several seconds, then stood and jumped over the railing. Alarmed, Bulma stood as well but then calmed as soon as she saw him hovering next to their carriage. He held a hand out to her. 

“Are you coming or what?” 

“Can you warn me next time you just decide to jump off of a Ferris wheel?” 

“Will you just take my hand?” He snarled. 

“Fine.” She put her hand in his and he swiftly pulled her from the ride into his arms, leaving their prizes behind. 

He flew off, but she noticed it wasn’t in the direction of their home. “Where are you taking me?!” 

“Quiet. You said humans like the feeling of being on top of the world. Why observe from a metal box when there are better options?” Vegeta said, glancing at the woman in his arms. 

“Oh.” Bulma stared at him, trying to read his expression but unable to tell if he was once again frustrated or something else. She held onto him tightly, and looked at the twinkling lights from the city at night, wondering what the Saiyan prince was thinking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone for all of the support so far! It's been so much fun working together to turn this from ideas into a full-blown fic. Hope you continue to enjoy what we have to say!


	3. Chapter 3

As the city flew by, she realized they were leaving it behind and heading towards the mountains, closer to where Goku lived. The lights faded, and soon they were enveloped by the velvet evening, sky blanketed by stars. She remained silent, taking in the beauty of the night, and wondering what Vegeta’s intentions were by taking her all the way out here.

Finally they lit on a peak, the valley spreading below them, and off in the distance, the light from West City glowing dreamily. He set her down and found a seat under the lone tree the mountain top had managed to keep, despite the weather it was sure to have endured. The old timber was well worn, having stood the test of time against the elements. A scar wrapped around it, most likely from a lightning strike, and its branches all sweeping in one direction, moved that way from years of wind beating at it.

Dark eyes glanced up at her, then flicked down at the spot beside him. Taking that as an invitation, she paced over and joined him. The warm summer air was met by occasional gusts of cool wind, but she ignored it, looking up at the stars scattering the sky above them, as if a painter had sprayed a black canvas with white flecks of acrylic.

After a long time of listening to the wind in the trees and the sounds of the nocturnal earth, a gruff voice broke their silence, barely above a whisper. “This is where I come when I need time to think.”

The prince was sharing something special with her, she realized. Was he opening himself up to her because he saw how hurt she had been feeling? Or was he realizing they both might need this place to soothe their souls? Worried she might break the moment, she sat in silence again, bringing her knees to her chest to fight the slowly cooling air around her.

“You’re cold.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement. Before she could refute it, he closed the gap between them and put his arm around her, his warm Saiyan body instantly a furnace heating her up. Her heart leapt a bit into her throat. It had been so long since he had shown her any sort of affection like this. She thought back to that fateful night almost two a years ago, how gentle he had been, even in the throws of passion.

“You know, I often wondered after Trunks came why Goku avoided me over the past three years,” The prince stiffened at the name of his rival, but she went on. “But he knew all about Trunks, and how you and I would somehow find one another. It just makes me sad that I lost all that time with my best friend. I miss him.” She let the thought linger in the air for a long time before she spoke again. “Do you miss him?”

Suddenly the dirt around the prince’s feet became the focus of his attention. He didn’t respond for a long time, and she wondered if he would ignore the question, when he finally answered. “I suppose. But not in your human way. I will never get my chance to prove myself. I will always wonder if I could have bested that clown. I should never…” He trailed off, most likely realizing he was saying more than he had intended.

But she decided to push, “Never have, what?” She tried to keep her voice as gentle as possible. He was like a wild animal, any sudden thing might send him shooting away from her, and she desperately was clinging on to this rare moment of vulnerability.

Sighing, he gazed back up at the sky, lightly tossing aside a rock he had been fingering. “My damn pride. No, hubris, I see that now. I had never known the difference. If I had just killed Cell when I had the chance, rather than trying to prove to Kakarot my superiority, he would…” His voice broke, and his head dropped. “I’m the last of my kind now. The prince of a dead race.”

Bulma’s mind flew back to her conversation with her mother. As scatterbrained as the woman was, it never ceased to amaze the heiress that she could have so much insight into others. Softly, she placed a hand on his knee. “But you’re not the last, there are two other Saiyans left, well half Saiyans, and one more on the way. You’re their prince, weather you all like it or not.” She giggled a little, trying to lighten the mood.

“Gohan.” The prince breathed out the name quietly. “I still don’t understand that boy. He has so much potential. He could reach heights neither Kakarot nor I could, and yet he wastes his time away in his books. Tch.” His gaze now turned to what she supposed was the direction of Mount Paozu.

Taking a chance, she snuggled closer, placing her head on his shoulder. He didn’t flinch at this, and actually seemed to relax some. “He’s never been a warrior like you. Sure, he enjoys fighting, but that rage, he’s afraid of it. Afraid of losing himself to it. Which means you will always be the strongest on Earth.” She paused, biting her lip. She knew what she wanted to ask him, but was frightened by what the answer might be. “That is, if you are going to stay.”

Suddenly, she was off his shoulder, the prince having pulled back to glare at her, eyes sharp even in the dark. “Is that what this has been all about, woman?”

Caught. Now, she would face the consequences. Well, she supposed she would have found out eventually, especially if she woke up one morning to find the ship gone. She finally nodded, pulling her legs up to her chest once again.

Heaving a heavy sigh, he pulled her to him again. “This is no place for you dressed like that. I’m not sure what I was thinking. I’ll take you home.” Scooping her up in one swift motion, she was in his arms, launching up into the air. He moved faster than before, and she was sure he was eager for the night to be over. Head against his chest, she could hear his steady heartbeat, and as she listened she found herself relaxing more and more until her heavy lids drooped, exhaustion taking over from the emotional events of the evening. As she drifted off to sleep, her thoughts were of the future, one spent alone, raising her sweet boy-and still hopelessly in love with the prince.


	4. Chapter 4

Didn’t that damn woman know him better than that? To think that she thought he would just leave her and their child alone on this mud...planet. He had far more honor than that. Slowly, he noticed her ki relaxing into slumber. A small smile crossed his lips. As far as evenings went, he could have thought of far worse ways they could have spent it. And he had to admit, it was refreshing to get out of that musty room. Her company wasn’t that terrible either.

What was it that this female, who vexed him and enticed him so, wanted from him? He had caught her referring to him as her “boyfriend” earlier. He certainly was not that. The title was something he associated with the weakling she used to be attached to, and that was something he wanted nothing to do with it. Besides, such a title was not fitting for him. Husband? The very thought called up one of these human male partners, who worked a job, came home at night, and acted all sappy about life. Well, at least that was the impression he got from the television. The thought just made him angry. He was a prince, and was so much more than that. He wasn’t sure where that left them.

Back on Planet Vegeta, she would be considered his mate and consort, having birthed the heir to the throne. But this was not his homeworld, and their child was not fully Saiyan. He hadn’t even asked her if she would be willing to take on that role. Things just sort of happened.

Vegeta needed time to figure out what it was that even _he_ wanted. He very well couldn’t hold himself in his room for the rest of his days. That was pointless. There was a Kakarot sized hole in his life now, though, and he was damned if he knew how to fill it. What was there to strive for any more? What would push him to new heights of greatness? He was loathe to admit, but he felt lost.

Looking down at her sleeping form, guilt swept over him. He realized that all she had been trying to do was be there for him. She really hadn’t asked much of anything from him before now, not with the pregnancy, not with raising their son. Just one night out; one night where _he_ could choose what direction this would go. Being with her all evening had been something he hadn’t known he had been craving. The other pitiful weaklings at the venue he could have done without. And he still didn’t understand what she enjoyed so much about that damn fair.

Shit, they left the stupid prizes behind. He heaved a deep breath. She would not let him live that one down. Somehow, he was going to be made to make that up to her. Well, another go at that bell thing wouldn’t be too bad.

Fine, he could give this, whatever it was, a chance. He couldn’t very well simply dwell in this place. He had to live, and this woman was as good a place as any to start.

Landing lightly in front of their home, he strode towards the door, trying to open it without shifting the sleeping woman in his arms and waking her. However, she was already stirring, eyes fluttering open. She slid down to the concrete stoop, looking a bit sheepish. “I’m sorry, I never meant to pass out on you. You know,” she glanced towards where they had come from, “we missed our dinner reservations. You must be starving. Let’s go in and I’ll order us something.” She offered him a wide smile. “Pizza sound good?”

The prince shoved his hands into his pant pockets, shrugging nonchalantly, attempting not to show that he wasn’t ready for the night to end. The thought of the room he had spent all his time in recently began to fill him with that horrible feeling that had consumed him for the past months. And food was always a welcome commodity. “Fine.” He pushed past her, arm purposefully rubbing up against hers. He could feel her ki spike a bit, and he hid a smirk from her. Vegeta had to admit that he liked the reaction he got from her from things like this. Making his way to the living room, he flopped onto the couch and looked for the remote. A movie might be a good way to wind down.

Moments later, she joined him, closing her phone screen. “All set. Your favorite place down the road. But they only had pepperoni. Apparently it’s a busy night for them. But they could do eight pizzas.” He nodded.

Conversation, humans crave conversation. He took a deep breath, he could try this. “What did you order for yourself?”

Taken aback at his sudden shift, bit her lip, “Oh, um, just cheese. I wasn’t feeling very adventurous after the fair food.”

“So it _did_ bother you?” His eyes went wide, and he beamed triumphantly.

She threw her hands on her hips, cell phone still gripped, “If you’re talking about the ride, hardly. I just…” she trailed off, looking embarrassed. He lowered his gaze, hoping to stare at her until she admitted what was bothering her. “Fine, it just gave me heartburn, geesh.”

Smirking and satisfied with himself, he leaned back into the cushions, placing his arms behind his head casually. He had to admit, she was a challenge that he had been missing. “That’s because your human digestive system can’t handle what a Saiyan’s can.” His dark eyes flicked up to hers dangerously, “I’ve been places where all I ate was raw meat.”

A disgusted look crossed the female’s face. “Do I even _want_ to know if it was sentient or not?”

Crossing his arms, he continued his dark gaze. “Probably not.”

She swallowed hard, and he felt a smirk cross his face. She caught the shift, and her eyes went wide. Swiftly, the bluenette pulled a nearby pillow off the couch and hurled it at his face. “Jerk! You had me going!”

Deflecting the soft object, he felt a laugh escape his throat, “How would you know?” He grabbed another pillow to throw back at her. Sharply, they were both staring at each other, both realizing this was the first time all night that they had seemed to be truly connecting.

For a moment, it appeared as if she were going to say something, then dropped the idea. “I’ll, uh, go wait by the door for the delivery guy. She turned to go, but he quickly grabbed her wrist. Wide eyed, she turned to face him. He wasn’t sure why he had done this, all he knew was he didn’t want her to leave.

“Wait here.” He tried his damnedest to stare back into the ocean of her eyes, but suddenly he felt like he would be lost in them and to these emotions he still was so unsure of. His eyes flicked towards the T.V.

“Oh,” She glanced away towards the blank screen. “Yeah, we can watch something.” Looking down at his hand, still holding her wrist, then back up at him, he felt her ki spike again. That hadn’t been intentional this time. Part of him wanted to pull her close into his arms again, not letting go, melting into one another. But he took the cowardly way out and simply let go, instantly regretting his decision.

For a moment she remained in place gazing back at him, almost looking hurt, as if she had expected what he had contemplated doing. He was a damned fool, and he knew it. No, if things were to progress into, well whatever this was, it needed time. At least that’s what he was now convincing himself. However part of him knew that he was frightened, and she had called him out on it the other night over dinner.

If he were being honest with himself, should something ever happen to this woman, he might actually lose himself completely to the darkness that had been eating away at his soul for far longer than Kakarot’s death.

This was dangerous. Caring for anyone beside himself was a risk. And he wasn’t sure if he was completely ready to take it. But he had made his mind up to give this a chance. And her eyes told him that she was just as frightened.

Perhaps they had more in common than he had let himself believe. Loneliness, yes, that had been what had initially brought them together, but now they were both hurting from the loss of Kakarot. And they both were scared of what the future might hold. She had fire that burned bright, and he craved its warmth to combat the cold darkness that he had always been in battle against. He wondered what it was that she saw in him that caused her to still keep fighting.

Bulma had turned away, her attention towards the T.V. now, setting up a movie. She paced back over to the couch and took a seat by his side to start up the film. It was some romantic comedy about this shrewish maiden who was tormenting this farm boy. They fell in love and he left her to seek his fortune and died. At first he really wasn’t that interested in it, but little by little he was finding the premise becoming more tolerable. She was starting to settle down closer to him when the doorbell rang.

“Oh, pizza’s here! I’ll go get it.” She got up from her spot to answer the door.

She walked out of the room, and as soon as she was out of earshot, he muttered to himself, “As you wish.” He chuckled. He never could have made himself say such a nauseatingly foolish thing to her face, but for some reason he wanted to try it in his mouth. No, he would never say that to her.

He waited a moment, then couldn’t stand the silence and padded into the kitchen towards the foyer. He loomed behind her shoulder, watching the heiress pay for their meal. He folded his arms, suddenly feeling the same emotion that had overcome him earlier that evening when the carny was focusing his attentions on her. He sneered at the driver. The delivery boy gulped upon seeing the Saiyan. “Um, that’s fine, Ma’am. It’s close enough. Have a good night.”

“You sure, I have the change, I-” The young man was now doing a full sprint down the driveway. She was frowning, confused at his reaction until she turned around and spotted the prince. “Vegeta! Really? You couldn’t just wait?”

“You were taking too long. Where is the pizza?” He grunted, looking for the delivery.

“In the kitchen. C’mon, mister.” He found himself being led into the kitchen, her soft hand in his.

Before long, most of the pizza had been devoured and they had settled back on the couch. Slowly, he noticed Bulma leaning closer to him. He supposed this was bearable. In a swift but gentle motion, he reached his arm around her, and pulled her closer. Her ki spiked a moment, then she relaxed. He was about to stretch as the credits rolled, when he felt her rhythmic breathing against his shoulder. A smirk crossed his face and he continued to watch her peacefully slumber at his side. He could wake her so that she could be more comfortable in bed, but she seemed so tranquil.

Being careful not to wake her, he shifted her into his arms and picked her up. In her room, he lay her on the bed, which she had neglected to make up in her rush to leave earlier.

As he pulled the blankets up to cover her sleeping form, he watched her-so vulnerable. This woman had waltzed into his life and turned it upside down, causing him to question everything. He gently moved a blue strand of hair away from her face. Something came over him, an emotion he had never felt before, one he couldn’t describe. This was _his_ woman, he couldn’t keep denying that to himself any longer. What had started as lust had grown into something far deeper. He wasn’t ready to put a name on this new emotion, but he knew that he might shatter if anything should happen to this fragile Earth woman.

Bending down, he placed a light kiss on her silken cheek. As he pulled back, he whispered softly, “That wasn’t such a bad first date after all.”

Art by [GRSL on Twitter](https://twitter.com/GreatRageSL)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to EVERYONE who helped and encouraged us over the course of this entire fic journey! Shoutout to our lovely artist @GreatRageSL who you can find on twitter to look at even more amazing art! I'd give specific shoutouts to people but I'm too afraid I'll miss some! There are some amazing friends in the VBO discord that have been incredibly supportive in all aspects. 
> 
> As a first time collab, this was an amazing experience. We're so happy to have done it, but definitely a little sad to see it end! Maybe more collabs in the future ... :] Thank you again!


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